Managing deteriorating patients: Registered nurses' performance in a simulated setting
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , McConnell-Henry, Tracy , Cant, Robyn , Porter, Joanne , Missen, Karen , Kinsman, Leigh , Endacott, Ruth , Scholes, Julie
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Open Nursing Journal Vol. 5, no. (2011), p. 120-126
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- Description: Aim: To examine, in a simulated environment, rural nurses’ ability to assess and manage patient deterioration using measures of knowledge, situation awareness and skill performance. Background: Nurses’ ability to manage deterioration and ‘failure to rescue’ are of significant concern with questions over knowledge and clinical skills. Simulated emergencies may help to identify and develop core skills. Methods: An exploratory quantitative performance review. Thirty five nurses from a single ward completed a knowledge questionnaire and two video recorded simulated scenarios in a rural hospital setting. Patient actors simulated deteriorating patients with an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) as the primary diagnosis. How aware individuals were of the situation (levels of situation awareness) were measured at the end of each scenario. Results: Knowledge of deterioration management varied considerably (range: 27%-91%) with a mean score of 67%. Average situation awareness scores and skill scores across the two scenarios (AMI and COPD) were low (50%) with many important observations and actions missed. Participants did identify that ‘patients’ were deteriorating but as each patient deteriorated staff performance declined with a reduction in all observational records and actions. In many cases, performance decrements appeared to be related to high anxiety levels. Participants tended to focus on single signs and symptoms and failed to use a systematic approach to patient assessment. Conclusion: Knowledge and skills were generally low in this rural hospital sample with notable performance decrements as patients acutely declined. Educational models that incorporate high fidelity simulation and feedback techniques are likely to have a significant positive impact on performance.
Simulation in the Internet age: The place of Web-based simulation in nursing education. An integrative review
- Authors: Cant, Robyn , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nurse Education Today Vol. 34, no. 12 (2014), p. 1435-1442
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- Description: Objective The objective of this article was to review the literature on utilisation and place of Web-based simulation within nursing education. Web-based simulation combines electronic multimedia options with a central video or virtual world to produce interactive learning activities mediated by the learner. Design An integrative review. Data sources A search was conducted of healthcare databases between 2000 and 2014 and of Internet sources for hosted simulation programs in nursing. Eighteen primary programs were identified for inclusion. Review methods A strategy for integrative review was adopted in which studies were identified, filtered, classified, analysed and compared. Results and discussion Of 18 programs, two game-based programs were identified which represented a ‘virtual world’ in which students could simultaneously or individually immerse themselves in a character role-play. However, most programs (n = 10) taught an aspect of procedural patient care using multimedia (e.g. video, audio, graphics, quiz, text, memo). Time-limited sequences, feedback and reflective activities were often incorporated. Other studies (n = 8) taught interpersonal communication skills or technical skills for equipment use. Descriptive study outcomes indicated ease of program use, strong satisfaction with learning and appreciation of program accessibility. Additionally, four studies reported significant improvements in knowledge post-intervention. Conclusion Web-based simulation is highly acceptable to students and appears to provide learning benefits that align with other simulation approaches and it augments face-to-face teaching. Web-based simulation is likely to have a major place in nursing curricula in the next decade, yet further research is necessary to objectively evaluate learner outcomes and to justify its use.
Bibliometric Scan of the 100 Most Cited Nursing Simulation Articles
- Authors: Cant, Robyn , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinical Simulation in Nursing Vol. 36, no. (2019), p. 1-7
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- Description: Background: Bibliometrics involves statistical analyses of publication data, particularly citation analysis, to determine popularity/impact of articles and authors. Methods: Citation analysis was conducted on the "top 100'' cited nursing simulation articles in the Scopus database in April 2019. Results: The median number of article citations was 84 (mean = 100.4; range, 53-557). Citations were steadily accumulated after publication; the majority between year four and year seven. Two-thirds of the articles were led by authors from the United States. Conclusions: This report on bibliometric mapping helps to graphically illustrate the evolution of simulation articles in the field of nursing.
The influence of anxiety on student nurse performance in a simulated clinical setting : A mixed methods design
- Authors: Al-Ghareeb, Amal , McKenna, Lisa , Cooper, Simon J.
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Nursing Studies Vol. 98, no. (2019), p. 57-66
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- Description: Background: Anxiety has a powerful impact on learning due to activation of anxiety hormones, which target related receptors in the working memory. Experiential learning requires some degree of challenge and anxiety. Patient simulation, as a form of experiential learning, has been an integrated component of health professional education internationally over the last two decades, especially in undergraduate nursing education. Little information is available to determine if and how anxiety impacts nursing students’ clinical performance during simulation. Objectives: To investigate physiological and psychological anxiety during emergency scenarios in high-fidelity simulation and understand the effect of anxiety on clinical performance. Design: First2Act was the model for the simulation intervention. Second and third year undergraduate nursing students attended a two-hour simulation session and completed a demographic questionnaire plus pre-simulation self-reported psychological anxiety scale. A heart rate variability monitor was attached to each student's chest to measure heart rate variability (as a sign of anxiety) before engaging in two video-recorded simulated emergency scenarios (cardiac and respiratory) with a professional actor playing the patient. Performance was rated by a clinician followed by video-assisted debriefing. Finally, heart monitors were removed and students repeated self-reports of psychological anxiety. Results: Students’ psychological anxiety was high pre-simulation and remained high post-simulation. With regard to physiological anxiety, students were anxious at the start of the simulation but became more relaxed toward the end as they gained familiarly with the simulation environment (p < .007). Clinical performance increased significantly in the second scenario (p < .001). Factors found to positively affect clinical performance were length of enrolment in the nursing degree (p = .001), current employment in a nursing or allied healthcare field (p = .030), and previous emergency experience (p = .047). The relationship between physiological anxiety and clinical performance was statistically not significant, although there was an indication that low level anxiety led to optimal performance. Conclusion: High-fidelity patient simulation has the capacity to arouse novice nurses psychologically and physiologically while managing emergency situations. Indicative outcomes suggest that optimal performance was apparent when anxiety levels were low, indicating that they had received insufficient training to deal with situations that induced moderate to high anxiety levels.
Undergraduate nursing students' peformance in recognising and responding to sudden patient deterioration in high psychological fidelity simulated environments: Quantitative results from an Australian multi-centre study
- Authors: Bogossian, Fiona , Cooper, Simon J. , Cant, Robyn , Beauchamp, Alison , Porter, Joanne , Kain, Victoria , Bucknall, Tracey , Phillips, Nicole
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Nurse Education Today Vol. 34, no. 5 (2014), p. 691-696
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- Description: Objectives This paper reports the quantitative findings of the first phase of a larger program of ongoing research: Feedback Incorporating Review and Simulation Techniques to Act on Clinical Trends (FIRST2ACTTM). It specifically aims to identify the characteristics that may predict primary outcome measures of clinical performance, teamwork and situation awareness in the management of deteriorating patients. Design Mixed-method multi-centre study. Setting High fidelity simulated acute clinical environment in three Australian universities. Participants A convenience sample of 97 final year nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing or combined Bachelor of Nursing degree were included in the study. Method In groups of three, participants proceeded through three phases: (i) pre-briefing and completion of a multi-choice question test, (ii) three video-recorded simulated clinical scenarios where actors substituted real patients with deteriorating conditions, and (iii) post-scenario debriefing. Clinical performance, teamwork and situation awareness were evaluated, using a validated standard checklist (OSCE), Team Emergency Assessment Measure (TEAM) score sheet and Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT). A Modified Angoff technique was used to establish cut points for clinical performance. Results Student teams engaged in 97 simulation experiences across the three scenarios and achieved a level of clinical performance consistent with the experts' identified pass level point in only 9 (1%) of the simulation experiences. Knowledge was significantly associated with overall teamwork (p = .034), overall situation awareness (p = .05) and clinical performance in two of the three scenarios (p = .032 cardiac and p = .006 shock). Situation awareness scores of scenario team leaders were low overall, with an average total score of 41%. Conclusions Final year undergraduate nursing students may have difficulty recognising and responding appropriately to patient deterioration. Improving pre-requisite knowledge, rehearsal of first response and team management strategies need to be a key component of undergraduate nursing students' education and ought to specifically address clinical performance, teamwork and situation awareness.
Best practice in clinical simulation education − are we there yet? A cross-sectional survey of simulation in Australian and New Zealand pre-registration nursing education
- Authors: Bogossian, Fiona , Cooper, Simon J. , Kelly, Michelle , Levett-Jones, Tracy , McKenna, Lisa , Slark, Julia , Seaton, Philippa
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Collegian Vol. 25, no. 3 (2018), p. 327-334
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- Description: Background: Simulation is potentially a means of increasing clinical education capacity. Significant investments have been made in simulation but the extent to which this has improved uptake, quality and diversity of simulation use is unclear. Aim: To describe the current use of simulation in tertiary nursing education programs leading to nurse registration Australia and New Zealand, and determine whether investments in simulation have improved uptake, quality and diversity of simulation experiences. Methods: A cross sectional electronic survey distributed to lead nursing academics in programs leading to nurse registration in Australia and New Zealand. Findings: 51.6% of institutions responded and reported wide variation in allocation of program hours to clinical and simulation learning. Simulation was embedded in curricula and positively valued as an adjunct or substitute for clinical placement. While simulation environments were adequate, staff time, training and resource development were barriers to increasing the quality, amount and range of simulation experiences. Quality assurance and robust evaluation were weak. Discussion: Simulation program hours are inconsistently reported and underutilized in terms of potential contribution to clinical learning. Benefits of capital investment in simulation physical resources have been realised, but barriers persist for increasing high quality simulation in nursing programs. Conclusion: Transitioning components of clinical education from the clinical to tertiary sectors has resource implications. Establishment of sustainable, high quality simulation experiences requires staff training, shared resources, best practice and robust evaluation of simulation experiences in nursing curricula. © 2017 Australian College of Nursing Ltd
An analysis of nursing students’ decision-making in teams during simulations of acute patient deterioration
- Authors: Bucknall, Tracey , Forbes, Helen , Phillips, Nicole , Hewitt, Nicky , Cooper, Simon J. , Bogossian, Fiona , FIRST2ACT Investigators
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 72, no. 10 (2016), p. 2482-2494
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- Description: Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the decision-making of nursing students during team based simulations on patient deterioration to determine the sources of information, the types of decisions made and the influences underpinning their decisions. Background: Missed, misinterpreted or mismanaged physiological signs of deterioration in hospitalized patients lead to costly serious adverse events. Not surprisingly, an increased focus on clinical education and graduate nurse work readiness has resulted. Design: A descriptive exploratory design. Methods: Clinical simulation laboratories in three Australian universities were used to run team based simulations with a patient actor. A convenience sample of 97 final-year nursing students completed simulations, with three students forming a team. Four teams from each university were randomly selected for detailed analysis. Cued recall during video review of team based simulation exercises to elicit descriptions of individual and team based decision-making and reflections on performance were audio-recorded post simulation (2012) and transcribed. Results: Students recalled 11 types of decisions, including: information seeking; patient assessment; diagnostic; intervention/treatment; evaluation; escalation; prediction; planning; collaboration; communication and reflective. Patient distress, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge were frequently recalled influences on decisions. Conclusions: Incomplete information, premature diagnosis and a failure to consider alternatives when caring for patients is likely to lead to poor quality decisions. All health professionals have a responsibility in recognizing and responding to clinical deterioration within their scope of practice. A typology of nursing students’ decision-making in teams, in this context, highlights the importance of individual knowledge, leadership and communication. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
The impact of emerging simulation-based technologies on the management of deteriorating patients : aiming for a gold standard educational evaluation
- Authors: Cooper, Simon J. , Cant, Robyn , Chung, Catherine , First Act Impact Team
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinical Simulation in Nursing Vol. 45, no. (2020), p. 50-59
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- Description: Background: Measuring the impact of patient safety interventions is challenging. This article aims to illustrate a “gold standard” model of program evaluation incorporating examples from two patient deterioration programs. Methods: Australian nurses were trained in primary responses to emergencies in four hospitals using either face-to-face (F2F) or screen-based simulation versions of a simulation program. Evaluation outcomes were measured using Kirkpatrick's evaluation hierarchy covering participant ‘reaction’, ‘learning’, ‘behaviour’ change and ‘results’—based on 1,564 pre–post intervention vital signs chart reviews. Results: Seventy-four nurses participated. Reaction—participant confidence/competence ratings and Learning improved significantly in both modalities (p <.001). Behaviour—oxygen delivery systems were used more appropriately after training in the F2F group (p =.037). Applicable recording of oxygen saturation (SpO2) improved significantly (p ≤.008) in both modalities. Results—at least a two-fold increase in the overall initiation of a clinical review after training, in both modalities (p <.001; effect: d = 0.41 F2F and d = 0.35 screen-based simulation). Conclusions: Kirkpatrick's evaluation model enables a suitable template for gold standard education evaluations. © 2020 International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning
- Description: Funding details: State Government of Victoria, 31362
Patient safety elements taught to preregistration nurses using simulation designs : an integrative review
- Authors: Ryan, Colleen , Kurup, Chanchal , Cant, Robyn , Reid-Searl, Kerry , Johnson, Trish , Barlow, Melanie , Heaton, Leeanne
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Clinical Simulation in Nursing Vol. 84, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: This integrative literature review aimed to examine preregistration nursing simulation-based education aligned to patient safety. Understanding quality standards and simulation best practices used to guide the simulation activities also featured. Eight data bases were searched using a standardized search strategy. A total of 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. Six patient safety standards featured in over 38 simulation scenarios, particularly the management of deteriorating patients. Students’ patient safety knowledge and simulated performances consistently returned significant gains following the interventions. Manikin-based, face to face delivery was the most commonly described simulation modality, followed by virtual simulation and virtual reality programmes. The evidence supports simulation as a beneficial technique for teaching patient safety in nursing education. In future, well planned controlled experimental studies are needed to deliver more evidence. Simulation design best practices aligned to international guidelines could be reported in more depth. © 2023
Decision-making errors during recognizing and responding to clinical deterioration : gaze path-cued retrospective think-aloud
- Authors: Al-Moteri, Modi , Plummer, Virginia , Cooper, Simon
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Clinical Simulation in Nursing Vol. 73, no. (2022), p. 29-36
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- Description: Background: Using individuals. own eye gaze path and mouse click tracks has proven to be a valuable technique for identifying a broad range of underlying cognitive processes and lapses of decision-making. Aim: The study aims to investigate nurses. decision-making errors in clinical deterioration. Method: Tobii eye tracker(R) was used to collect eye movements and mouse clicks of eighteen participants followed by gaze path retrospective interview. Finding: Thematic analysis revealed several forms of cognitive bias including anchoring, availability and confirmation bias, commission error and Yin-yang out. A distraction effect was apparent in nurses' ability to perceive, process data and to intervene. © 2022